Category: Uncategorized

The cultural, emotional & academic impact of international education & mobility

This is the handout for the webinar presentation for the Parent Session (English) at KIS. It includes a list of resources mentioned in the presentation, the slide deck and additional resources.

Core topics

• Intergenerational cultural gaps
  How is your child(ren)’s experience of international education or mobility different from your childhood experiences?
• Multilingual perspectives
  How does bilingualism/multilingualism affect your child(ren)’s perspectives? What is their relationship with the languages they speak?
• Internalized racism
  How does the hidden curriculum impact students’ sense of self? What is internalized racism? In what way does it affect their relationship with their parent(s)’ language and culture?
• Hidden curriculum
• What is the hidden curriculum? How does it show up in international schools?

Slides

You can download the slides from the workshop in PDF format below.

Speakers

Danau Tanu, Ph.D., anthropologist & author of Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School
www.danautanu.com

Isabelle Min, coach & facilitator
www.tck.or.kr

Main text

Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School. Danau Tanu, 2018. 

Resources in order of appearance

Sundae Bean podcast episode: 146: Hidden Hierarchies in International Schools with Danau Tanu

‘Third Culture Kids: The Return Home’.Tim Brantingham in Sandwich Parenting.

Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd Edition. David Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael Pollock, 2017.

Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. Doug Ota, 2014.

(Additional resource: Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century. Tanya Crossman, 2016. See also www.tanyacrossman.com)

‘Lost’ first languages leave permanent mark on the brain, new study reveals in The Guardian, 20 November 2014

The Traumatizing Gift: a Global Childhood – A TEDx talk by Saeko Mizuta, CEO of the TCK Workshop (日本語)

TCKs of Asia & Third Culture Stories podcast.

Breakout Sessions: Challenges & Aspirations

Q1. Can you recognise any cultural gaps between you and your child(ren)? If so, please describe it.

Q2. What is your highest aspiration for your child(ren)?

Duration: 8 minutes

This is the handout for the webinar presentation for the PD session at JIS. It includes a list of resources mentioned in the presentation, the slide deck and additional resources.

MAIN THEME

• Being ‘seen’

CORE TOPICS

• identity development: mirror concept
• privilege (as contextual) & internalised racism
• cultural gaps in the international school setting

SLIDE DECK

The slide deck from the workshop is available in PDF format.

Main text

Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School. Danau Tanu, 2018. 

Resources in order of appearance

‘Third Culture Kids: The Return Home’.Tim Brantingham in Sandwich Parenting.

Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd Edition. David Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael Pollock, 2017.

Hidden Hierarchies in International Schools on Expat Happy Hour podcast by Sundae Bean.

The Traumatizing Gift: a Global Childhood – A TEDx Fullbright Tokyo talk by Saeko Mizuta. Saeko is CEO of the TCK Workshop (日本語), an online tutoring service for bilingual children (Japanese and English).

Aiko Minematsu – University Lecturer. (See TCKs of Asia podcast)

The Strength of Weak Ties

Original study: The concept of weak ties was originally developed to study what type of networking is useful for job search

• Granovetter, Mark. 1973. “The Strength of Weak Ties,” American Journal of Sociology (78:6), 1360-1380.

For well being: Investing a little time to develop weak ties with students may help them feel more ‘seen’ and help the campus feel more inclusive

• Gillian Sandstrom’s research
• Leslie, Ian. 2020. “Why your ‘weak-tie’ friendships may mean more than you think.” In BBC (July 3).  

For recruitment: The concept of weak ties has been widely applied to diversifying job recruitment pools

• Weak Ties Matter
• How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams (via Joel Laban)

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Oxford IB Diploma Programme: IB Theory of Knowledge Course Book by Marija Uzunova Dang and Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang. Oxford University Publishing, 2020.

Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. Doug Ota, 2014.

TCKs of Asia & Third Culture Stories podcast.

Breakout Sessions

Instructions

Work in pairs. 10 minutes total.

• Step 1: Speaker shares story (4 min)
• Step 2: The Listener retell the Speaker’s story using ‘Active Listening’ skills (1 min)
• Step 3: Swap roles. Repeat steps 1 & 2

Active Listening

Be neutral. Do not judge.
Be attentive (nod, etc), patient and don’t fill the silences.

Reflect back to the speaker what they said. Use their words as much as possible. Do not interpret. Do not add your opinion.

BREAKOUT 1 – Self-reflection: Being ‘seen’

• Q1. Describe a time when you felt seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you feel seen?
• Q2. Describe a time when you did not feel seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you not feel seen?

BREAKOUT 2 – Self-reflection: Privilege

• Q1. Describe a story that might indicate that you or your family don’t have privilege.
• Q2. Describe an area in which you benefit from the existing social or historical context. 

BREAKOUT 3 – Cultural Gaps

• Q1. Are there any areas where you think you haven’t made enough effort to understand the other perspective? What can you do to change this?
• Q2. What’s your key takeaway today? What resonated?

This is the handout for the webinar presentation for the Teacher Session at KIS. It includes a list of resources mentioned in the presentation, the slide deck and additional resources.

Core topics

• Hidden curriculum
  What is the hidden curriculum? How does it show up in international schools?
• Internalized racism
  How does the hidden curriculum impact students’ sense of self? What is internalized racism? In what way does it affect their relationship with their parent(s)’ language and culture?
• Invisible diversity
  How does the hidden curriculum affect the way student diversity is perceived?
• Role of educators
  How do educators contribute to the hidden curriculum? What can educators do to change the hidden curriculum?

Slide deck

The slide deck from the workshop is available in PDF format.

Main text

Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School. Danau Tanu, 2018. 

Resources in order of appearance

‘Third Culture Kids: The Return Home’.Tim Brantingham in Sandwich Parenting.

Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century. Tanya Crossman, 2016. (See also www.tanyacrossman.com)

Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd Edition. David Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael Pollock, 2017.

Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. Doug Ota, 2014.

Children At Promise: 9 principles to help kids thrive in an at risk world. Tim Stuart, 2003.

Isabelle Min – Transition Catalyst Korea (TCK) Institute

Jessica Wei Huang – www.jessicaweihuang.com

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The Strength of Weak Ties

Original study: The concept of weak ties was originally developed to study what type of networking is useful for job search

• Granovetter, Mark. 1973. “The Strength of Weak Ties,” American Journal of Sociology (78:6), 1360-1380.

For well being: Investing a little time to develop weak ties with students may help them feel more ‘seen’ and help the campus feel more inclusive

• Gillian Sandstrom’s research
• Leslie, Ian. 2020. “Why your ‘weak-tie’ friendships may mean more than you think.” In BBC (July 3).  

For recruitment: The concept of weak ties has been widely applied to diversifying job recruitment pools

• Weak Ties Matter
• How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams (via Joel Laban)

---

Organisation to Decolonise International Schools

ISC Research: The international school student profile – The 2021 Report

TCKs of Asia (Third Culture Stories podcast)

Association of International Educators & Leaders of Color (AIELOC)

See a list of other relevant resources here.

Self-reflection: Being ‘seen’ (Breakout Activity)

• Q1. Describe a time when you felt seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you feel seen?
• Q2. Describe a time when you did not feel seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you not feel seen?

Instruction

Work in pairs. 10 minutes total.

• Step 1: Speaker shares story (4 min)
• Step 2: The Listener retell the Speaker’s story using ‘Active Listening’ skills (1 min)
• Step 3: Swap roles. Repeat steps 1 & 2

Active Listening

Be neutral. Do not judge.
Be attentive (nod, etc), patient and don’t fill the silences.

Reflect back to the speaker what they said. Use their words as much as possible. Do not interpret. Do not add your opinion. 

This is the handout for the keynote presentation hosted by 21CLHK Online for the Reimagining Learning conference in 2021. It includes a list of resources mentioned in the presentation, the slide deck and additional resources.

Main topics

• Systemic racism
  How does systemic racism work in international schools?
• Hidden curriculum
  What is the hidden curriculum? How does it show up in international schools?
• Internalized racism
  How does the hidden curriculum impact students’ sense of self? What is internalized racism?
• Campus social dynamics
  How does the hidden curriculum impact group dynamics among students? Among staff?

Slide deck

The slide deck from the keynote talk is available in PDF format.

(For those who have attended my other webinars, this presentation will be similar but not identical. I include more material but they are not all shown in the slides.)

Resources

• Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School. Danau Tanu, 2018. 

• Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd Edition. David Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael Pollock, 2017.
• Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. Doug Ota, 2014.
• Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century. Tanya Crossman, 2016.
• The Empire Writes Back. Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin, 2002. (Note: There are other more recent resources on postcolonial literature.)
• Children At Promise: 9 principles to help kids thrive in an at risk world. Tim Stuart, 2003.
• See also Tanya Crossman’s list of recommended resources

See a list of other relevant resources here.

TCKS OF ASIA

A community group that hosts live open forums and a podcast that deep dives into the additional layers of Third Culture Kids that have never been explored before.

• Language & Power
• The Hidden Loss of Language & Intimacy
• Mixed Loyalties

Learn more about past forums or listen to the podcast on Spotify or Anchor

AIELOC MONTHLY COMMUNITY VISIONING

A monthly community session dedicated to explore ways to end discrimination in the international school ecosystem. All are welcome. See event description or visit AIELOC’s events page.

Optional readings

These three short, easy-to-read articles offer a brief introduction to the core topics listed above. These articles include extracts from Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School.

• Educating global citizens? Inside Indonesia. October 4, 2010. (This is a short article that I’ve dubbed ‘a teaser’ to Growing Up in Transit.)
• Osmosis: When Children Internalize Racism Through School. (Originally published on October 14, 2020.)
• The Hidden Curriculum. (Originally published on February 16, 2021.)

You can also download the free introduction to Growing Up in Transit.

Main themes

• Two-way street
• Being ‘seen’

CORE TOPICS

• the hidden curriculum (and hidden narratives)
• being ‘international’ and invisible diversity
• teachers as gatekeepers / not role modelling
• internalised racism

SLIDe deck

The slide deck from the keynote talk are available in PDF format.

Resources mentioned in the keynote

• Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School. Danau Tanu, 2018. (Get 35% off until December 31, 2021.)
• Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd Edition. David Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken and Michael Pollock, 2017.
• Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it. Doug Ota, 2014.
• Children At Promise: 9 principles to help kids thrive in an at risk world. Tim Stuart, 2003.
• See also Tanya Crossman’s list of recommended resources

See a list of other relevant resources here.

TCKs of Asia

A community group that hosts live open forums and a podcast that deep dives into the additional layers of Third Culture Kids that have never been explored before.

• Language & Power
• The Hidden Loss of Language & Intimacy
• Mixed Loyalties

Learn more about past forums or listen to the podcast on Spotify or Anchor

AIELOC monthly Community Visioning

A monthly community session dedicated to explore ways to end discrimination in the international school ecosystem. All are welcome. See event description or visit AIELOC’s events page.

Organisation to Decolonise International Schools

Alumni and student-led organisation ‘to create a movement within all international schools (not just IB) and the expat community at large to expand the scope of international education beyond current Western values, to be intersectional and inclusive of all marginalised groups’.

Optional readings

These three short, easy-to-read articles offer a brief introduction to the core topics listed above. These articles include extracts from Growing Up in Transit: The Politics of Belonging at an International School.

• Educating global citizens? Inside Indonesia. October 4, 2010. (This is a short article that I’ve dubbed ‘a teaser’ to Growing Up in Transit.)
• Osmosis: When Children Internalize Racism Through School. (Originally published on October 14, 2020.)
• The Hidden Curriculum. (Originally published on February 16, 2021.)

You can also download the free introduction to Growing Up in Transit.

Exercise questions

Please feel free to reflect on these questions to continue thinking about the themes from the keynote talk.

Q1. Describe a time when you felt seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you feel seen? Describe a time when you did not feel seen by a teacher (or any adult). Why did you not feel seen? 

Q2. A) Describe one or two areas where you lack privilege. How has this affected you and how others interact with you? How does it affect the way you teach and/or interact with students? B) Describe one or two areas where you have privilege. How might this affect how you see students? How you teach? 

Q3. Identify and describe an example of a negative narrative that is being told about students at your school. In what way are students being blamed for it? In what way are the staff contributing to the “problem” or acting as gatekeepers? (Question 2 will make more sense after the workshop.)

Q4. What action will you take to help change the culture of the school? For example, what will you change about the way you teach, interact with students or staff, talk about students, and so on?

Q5. Compare the two maps of Australia (here and here). They tell stories from two different perspectives. The first map represents the dominant narrative told of Australia and is more widely known. The second map tells a story that is often missing from the dominant narrative. Can you identify the dominant narrative told in your subject curriculum or textbooks? What are the stories that are missing from the curriculum or textbooks you use?

For more resources on decolonising the curriculum, see here.